The Interstitial Cystitis Diet Simplified

What You Can Eat When You Have Interstitial Cystitis, Bladder Pain Syndrome or a Sensitive Bladder

The IC Diet is a very healthy, simple, natural diet. If you’re addicted to junk food, this is going to be a big change. Rather than buying pre-made foods, we suggest making homemade meals so that you know exactly what the ingredients are. No one can tell you exactly what you’ll be able to eat because patients often have different food tolerances. So, take it slowly, keep your diet simple and, when possible, organic. Start with small quantities of riskier foods, when possible.

Meats & Proteins

Meats – You can have almost any fresh (obviously cooked) meat or fish that you want but be careful with the spices and sauces used. BBQ sauce, steak sauce and cajun spice rubs, for example, can be very irritating.

Want a steak?? Instead of ketchup, sauté some mushrooms in butter to use on top. Chicken is a popular favorite with IC patients. Fried chicken, without hot spices, is a popular favorite! Be wary of spicy preserved meats, particularly pepperoni and salami.

Eggs – Eggs and egg whites are an excellent source of protein. Surprisingly, early IC food lists suggested that eggs were irritating but new lists and studies have designated eggs as IC friendly. Egg white based protein powders (i.e. dried egg whites – Just Whites) are much better than soy powder products.

Vegetables

Most vegetables are bladder friendly with the exception of concentrated tomato products (i.e. tomato sauce, soup, etc.) and soy. Some vegetables (i.e. spinach) are high in oxalates which may irritate patients also struggling with vulvodynia.

Dairy Products

Milk and eggs are IC friendly as well as mild, fresh cheeses. Try plain Mozzarella, Cottage, Monterey Jack or mild Cheddar cheese. Farmer’s cheese, string cheese and Parmesan cheese seem to be IC friendly for most patients. Other cheeses may take some trial and error. In general, stay away from hot, spicy or bitter cheeses.

Breads & Grains

Unless you have been diagnosed with celiac disease and have an intolerance to gluten, breads are generally IC friendly unless they have been heavily fortified or treated.

We suggest buying fresh, preservative-free breads made by a local bakery or making your bread at home. Wheat, oat, white and rice breads are usually okay. Rye and sourdough breads may create some problems. Food For Life’s Ezekiel brand of breads and GinnyBakes or Bob’s Red Mill line of organic baking mixes are very popular among patients.

Fruits

Please avoid all citrus fruit, including: lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits. Cranberries should also be avoided.

When selecting fruit, your goal is to select fruit that is very ripe and sweet. We suggest starting with pears and blueberries, known as the most bladder friendly, low acid of fruits. If you do well with those, try a mild sweet apple (i.e. Gala or Fuji) and just have a few slices to see how you feel over the next 24 hours. If you tolerate the apples well, consider trying mango, papaya, watermelon, cantaloupe or honeydew. Please note, however, that these fruits have provoked symptoms for some patients. Always start with a small amount or serving first, wait a day and see how you tolerate it.

Because fruits tend to have more acid content, it’s important to be moderate with your servings. Don’t gorge on any specific fruit because, eventually, you could consume enough that could irritate your bladder. Keep your servings consistently small yet flavorful. Don’t be afraid of fruit. You can enjoy it daily in small amounts.

Are canned fruits safe? Avoid any canned fruits containing artificial sugar. We think slice pears, peaches and applesauce should be find in small quantities.

Desserts

You can’t go wrong with fresh, vanilla ice cream. Caramel sauce is IC friendly. Snickerdoodles and other vanilla cookies seem to be IC friendly. If you’re a chocoholic, use carob instead. Carob chip cookies and brownies are great.

Looking for a more formal dessert? Carrot, vanilla, applesauce and pound cakes should be tolerable. Pies can be fun, such as custard or cream pie. Homemade apple pie or tarts made with gala or fuji apples are ideal. Avoid citrus and alcohol based desserts, such as lemon meringue pie.

Looking for something simpler? How about some frozen coconut milk bars or carob english toffee!

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My Google Profile+ Jill Heidi Osborne is the president and founder of the Interstitial Cystitis Network, a health education company dedicated to interstitial cystitis, bladder pain syndrome and other pelvic pain disorders.
As the editor and lead author of the ICN and the IC Optimist magazine, Jill is proud of the academic recognition that her website has achieved. The University of London rated the ICN as the top IC website for accuracy, credibility, readability and quality. (Int Urogynecol J - April 2013). Harvard Medical School rated both Medscape and the ICN as the top two websites dedicated to IC. (Urology - Sept 11). Jill currently serves on the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Panel (US Army) where she collaborates with researchers to evaluate new IC research studies for possible funding. Jill has conducted and/or collaborates on a variety of IC research studies on new therapeutics, pain care, sexuality, the use of medical marijuana, menopause and the cost of treatments, shining a light on issues that influence patient quality of life.
An IC support group leader and national spokesperson for the past 20 years, she has represented the IC community on radio, TV shows, at medical conferences. She has written hundreds of articles on IC and its related conditions.
With a Bachelors Degree in Pharmacology and a Masters in Psychology, Jill was named Presidential Management Intern (aka Fellowship) while in graduate school. (She was unable to earn her PhD due to the onset of her IC.) She spends the majority of her time providing WELLNESS COACHING for patients in need and developing new, internet based educational and support tools for IC patients, including the “Living with IC” video series currently on YouTube and the ICN Food List smartphone app! Jill was diagnosed with IC at the age of 32 but first showed symptoms at the age of 12.

One Comment

Lucybaker
September 15, 2014 at 6:59 am

I was just diagnosed with IC last week. I am having a very hard time accepting this and I have no idea how to tell my family how much this will change my life. It is especially difficult to know how to make my husband understand that there are times when I will not feel up to doing activities that we enjoy. Anyone out there with advice? Also, is there a doctor in the Orlando, FL area who specializes in IC?

Interstitial Cystitis Network

The ICN is a health education company dedicated to IC and chronic pelvic pain syndrome. Rated the top patient website dedicated to IC in peer reviewed studies by Harvard (2011) and the Univ. of London (2013), our goal is to empower, educate and encourage patients and providers!